New Delhi: India has strongly rejected observations made by a United Nations committee regarding alleged racial discrimination and rights violations by law enforcement agencies, terming references in the report “politically motivated” and “highly malicious.”
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the observations followed a review of India’s implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) in Geneva on August 11 and 12.
According to the MEA, India participated in the treaty-body review in a spirit of constructive engagement and remains firmly committed to combating racial discrimination. The ministry also highlighted India’s historical role in negotiating and drafting the convention during the 1960s.
During the review, the Indian delegation, led by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, presented the country’s constitutional safeguards, legal framework, pluralistic character, affirmative action programmes, democratic institutions and judicial remedies as mechanisms to address discrimination and protect citizens’ rights.
However, the government objected to what it described as sweeping generalisations and unsubstantiated allegations in the committee’s observations. The MEA also accused the panel of displaying a tendency to exceed the mandate provided under the convention.
“While we will respond to the Committee’s observations through the established procedure,” the ministry said, adding that the Indian delegation had already rejected the allegations during the Geneva review meeting.
In an unusually strong response, the MEA said India “rejects any politically motivated highly malicious references in the report with all the contempt that it deserves.”
The government’s response underscores its position that international human-rights mechanisms must remain within their prescribed mandates while acknowledging India’s continuing obligations under international treaties.
